Combined draft hook bar and step for freight cars



Jan. .4 1927.

R. J. MAGOR COMBINED DRAFT HOOK BAR AND STEP FOR FREIGHT CARS Filed July 51, 1926 INVENTORY .B 0 b er? film or ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT 3'. MAGOR, 0F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOR T0 MAGOR GAR COR- PORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF DELAVAIRE.

COMBINED DRAFT HOOK BAR AND STEP FOR FREIGHT CARS.

Application filed July 31,

The invention relates in general to an improvement in the design of a side sill corner step for freight and other cars, which steps are designed to comply with standardized requirements and at the same time which can be made cheaply, and the invention specifically relates toan improvement in side sill steps which heretofore have been utilized as a draft hook bar for attaching thereto drafting means for moving the car even though not intended for this use.

It is a usual practice in some locations to hitch oxen and other draft animals to certain types of freight and other industrial cars, such for instance as to cars known as sugar cane cars, for the purpose of drawing the cars over short distances. The teamsters have found it most convenient to attach the draft harness to the usual U shaped step depending from the side sills of such cars. These steps have not heretofore been designed to withstand the draft strain incidental to such use and as a result the steps quickly become distorted so that they soon are rendered incapable of further functioning as steps. It is not economically possible to strengthen the conventional forms of steps to compensate for such distorting strain for in such types of cars the manufacturer opposes any increase in manufacturing costs over the conventional forms of car parts.

Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to provide a form of corner step which can function as such and at the same time can be utilized as an attachment for a draft member without distorting its initial shape. An incidental object is to provide a form of step capable of performing this dual function which can be manufactured without material, if any, increase in manufacturing costs.

Broadly, this invention is attained by providing a part of the conventional form of step an inclined side or leg which will act automatically on the draft member to guide the same into such position that the draft strains thereon are transmitted to the car structure in close proximity to the same and through a heavy non-distortable part of the step structure.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in 1926. Serial No. 126,204.

the following particular description of one form of device embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary View in side elevation of an end portion of a freight car equipped with a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in side elevation; and

Fig. 2 is a plane view looking down upon the step structure shown in Fig. 1.

Referring articularly to the showing in Fig. 1 there is shown the sill element 10 of a car underframe and which will be referred to broadly hereinafter as a support. Secured to the support and depending therefrom is a sill step 11 resembling conventional structure in that it is of U shaped form. It may also follow conventional form in that it can be made from one inch flat iron for the major portion of its length, but preferablythe portion between the ends is circular 1n cross section and of sufiicient material to meet the requirements for a side step.

The step includes a substantially vertically disposed leg 12, an inclined leg 13 connected by a step forming horizontally disposed crotch portion 14. v

The'upper end of the leg 12 is provided with an outstanding broad flange 15 and similarly the upper end of the leg 13 is provided with a bored fastening flange 16 in both instances secured to the sill convention ally by means of bolts or rivets 17.

The feature of this disclosure is that the le 13 depends downwardly and rearwardly from the adjacent end of the car underframe and thus forms an acute angle between this forward leg 13 and the portion of the sill above the step 14; while arm 12 in the preferred embodiment is shown depending vertically it is obviously within the scope of the disclosure to incline this arm as has been shown for arm 13 in those cases where it is desired to pull the car in opposite direction. This inclined leg is adapted to be engaged by a hook 19 or other attaching means at the end of a rope or other form of draft member 18. In designing the inclination from the vertical of the leg 13 care must be exercised in giving it sufficient slant to insure a vertical component to the horizontal pull of the draft tension to insure a slipping lit) Lil

of the hook 19 upwardly into the crotch even though the hook and leg are formed of the usual rough unfinished material. In the instant case, the interior angle between the arm 13 and the car underframe is approxi inately sixty-five degrees.

In operation, it will be understood that the operator following his usual practise carelessly attaches the hook or looped end of-the draft member to the leg 14 and drives the oxen forwardly. The tension thus placed on the draft member 18 causes the hook end 19 to slip upwardly along the inclined leg 13 until it is stopped by the engagement therewith of the underside of the side sill 10 as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this position, it will be appreciated that horizontal strains are transmitted from the draft member 18 horizontally through the massive flange 16 and securing bolt 1? to the car underframe. As the engagement with the step is not made at a bendable part thereof, any tendency towards the distortion of the step is avoided. Even if the hook is not carefully disposed in the apex of the angle it will move into this position as soon as the pull is exerted on the draft member.

The step herein disclosed is made in the same way and the same amount of material as has been used for these steps neretofore, and therefore no additional manufacturing cost is added to the standard equipment of a step and bull hook and at the same time the original design of the step is retained to a large extent.

In appearance the design resembles the conventional U-step but in case it is used inadvertently as a draft member it will function as such without distortion.

-While I have shown and described, and have pointed out in the annexed claims, certain no vel features of m invention it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritof the invention.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a freight car, the combination with a car underframe. of a combined corner step and draft hool: bar secured thereto, said step and bar comprising a U-shaped member with one leg thereof inclined to the vertical end forn'iing an acute angle with the portion of the underframe above the step forming crotch, and the end of said inclined portion being turned outwardly to form a securing flange, means for securing the flange to the under-frame, said inclined leg constituting a hook bar adapted to receive an end of a draft member and guide the same upwardly towards the underframe and into the apex of the acute angle formed by the underframe and inclined side whereby the horizontal draft strains on the draft member are transmitted directly to the underframe substantially along the line of the securing flange and any tendency of the draft member to distortthe corner step is minimized.

2. In a freight car, the combination of a support forming a structural part of the car adjacent one end thereof, of a combined corner step and draft hook bar secured to said support and comprising a substantially U- sl aped member, with the upper end of each leg portion secured to the support and the connecting crotch portion constituting the step. the leg adjacent the contiguous end of the car depending from the support to form a hook bar and inclined downwardly and away from said end thereby to form an acute angle between said inclined hook bar and the part of the support above the step and said acute angle adapted to contain and secure in place part of a draft member for engaging the bar in moving the car.

A combined corner step and draft hook bar for cars comprising a one piece metal member bent to a substantial U-shape and including a vertically disposed leg, aleg inclined to the vertical and converging downwardly towards the vertical leg, a horizontally disposed crotch portion connecting the legs and forming a step, the inclined leg constitut-ing a bar adapted to receive the hook or other attaching means of a draft member and said bar having its upper end turned outwardly to form a securing flange and adapted to transmit strains edgewise there- 'through from the draft member to the car part to which the flange is secured. I

at. In a car, the combination of a support, a combined step and draft hook barsecured to the support and having one side thereof forming a bar adapted to have secured thereto a draft member, said bar inclined to the horizontal at an angle of'approximately sixty-five degrees and adapted to guide ahorizontally tensioned draft member secured thereto towards the support.

In a device of the class described, the combination of a support, a draft hook bar secured thereto, said bar including a part adapted to receive a draft member and inclined downwardly from the support and in the directionaway fromthe direction of pull of the draft member whereby a horizontal pull of the draft hook on the inclined member will cause the hook to move upwardly into engagement with the support.

Signed at New York, in the-county of New York, and State of New York, this firstday of June A. D. 1926.

.R OBERT J..MAGOR. 

